The Trials of Oil Engines at Cambridge. 
721 
Behaviour of the Engines during the Three Days’ Run. 
Messrs. Homslnfs engine ran without hitch of any kind from 
start to finish. Its action was faultless. One attendant only 
was employed all through the trials, and started the engine 
easily and with certainty after working the hand blast to the 
lamp for 8 minutes. The longest time taken to start was 
9 minutes, and the shortest 7. When the engine stopped each 
day the bearings were cool, and the piston was moist and 
well lubricated. The revolutions were very constant, and the 
power developed did not vary one quarter of a brake horse- 
power from day to day. The oil consumption, reckoned on the 
average of the three days’ run, was 0 - 919 lb. per brake horse- 
power per hour. This is equivalent to a consumption of 
T18 lb. of coal, and would, at the above price of oil, mean an 
expenditure of 0'42d per brake or effective horse-power per 
hour. This includes the oil used for the starting lamps. 
Messrs. Crossley’s engine had one stoppage for about a minute 
on the second day, due to carelessness in letting the oil- 
supply run too low. It started away again without difficulty 
when this had been renewed. Otherwise, the engine ran 
admirably, and required very little attention. The average 
time taken to start was 16 minutes, the maximum being 19, 
and the minimum 13 ; one attendant only was required. The 
oil consumption was rather less than Messrs. Hornsby’s — 
namely, 0 - 90 lb. of oil per brake horse-power per hour. The 
speed and power developed were uniform and the governing 
was good. 
Messrs. Wells Brothers’ engine was started, worked, and 
attended by one man alone throughout the trials. The large 
and heavy flywheel made this a somewhat awkward job, but 
except for one day, when the attempt was made before the 
vaporiser was warm enough, the engine started and ran in 
a very satisfactory manner. The average time taken to start was 
21 minutes. It had as little attention as any on the ground, 
the attendant frequently leaving it entirely for considerable 
intervals and generally finding plenty of time for sleep and 
recreation. The mean revolutions for the three days do not 
differ by more than 1 per minute, and the power developed was 
very constant. The consumption was somewhat higher than the 
Hornsby engine — namely, 1*06 lb. per brake horse-power per 
hour. 
Messrs. Weyman & Hitchcock’s engine, the “ Trusty,” also ran 
well. The tube was removed and cleaned before the last day’s 
run, but the engine finished in good condition. One tnan only w r as 
